Zamfara West Senator Abdulaziz Yari has stirred fresh controversy after alleging that President Bola Tinubu is not fully in control of his own Presidency. Speaking at the One Nigeria Project Conference in Abuja on Wednesday, Yari claimed that powerful forces outside the Presidential Villa are the ones truly calling the shots.
The former Zamfara governor said he believes Tinubu is “caged” within the Villa, adding that Nigerians close to the Presidency understand what really happens behind the scenes. According to him, many of the country’s problems stem from the elite who publicly criticise the president while privately contributing to national dysfunction.
Yari also addressed those looking to foreign powers for help, insisting that former U.S. President Donald Trump cannot solve Nigeria’s internal issues. He stressed that only Nigerians themselves can fix the country.
He said he had informed President Tinubu about his attendance at the event, urging that the One Nigeria Project deserves national support. Yari further argued that despite the many crises Nigeria has faced—from pre‑1999 tensions to the June 12 turmoil—the country remains intact because “God is in charge.”
His comments come at a time when national conversations around leadership, governance, and political influence are heating up.